The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

Adult memoir
"This white guy can relate to me because he's been around Black
people his whole career and/or because he's married/dated [insert
nonwhite race here] before and/or he's actually a member of an ethnic
group that is--according to him--adjacent to Black people in the
struggle Olympics, and/or this white guy grew up in Nu Yawk Siddy, so
there's literally no way he can be racist!..."
Many of you probably know of comedian W. Kamau Bell from
television or social media. I first learned of him when I picked up
his book. I found it to be interesting and insightful. His narrative
consists of two strands.
The first strand is his life story from his childhood raised by
a single mother through his professional marriage and interracial
marriage. As a teen he felt like he didn't really belong with his
peers. Much to his father's disappointment, he showed no interest in
organized sports. (He did take up martial arts.) He dropped out of
college when he realized his classes did not interest him. His road
to comedic success was long and challenging.
The second strand consists on his "awkward" thoughts on a number
of topics:
*being a large Black man
*superheroes
*sports
*Trump's election
And other fascinating subjects on which he puts unique spins.
Whether or not you've encountered Bell's work in other media, I
think you'll find this book interesting and informative.
On a purrrsonal note, hey, we're coming up on another weekend.
The high point of my week has been UMaine's five day Racial Justice
Challenge. It was totally engaging and thought provoking. The second
most exciting EVENT of my summer. (The first being my older
daughter's wedding). That's not just my opinion. Over 3,000 people
from all over the world are participating.
The low point was my toe. Somehow I managed to mess up one of the
toes I dropped a bowling ball on a few years back. I'm elevating and
icing which means I have to lie around reading.
Next Tuesday is a sad anniversary for me: the first year one of my
precious Joey cat's death and burial. I may spend much of the weekend
hiding out in good books. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my
little friend. (Jules)
My hooman is limping. I want her paw to get better. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Jen and her colleagues who created
the challenge. We hope it's only the first.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


Sent from my iPod